Ironwood ABR XC and Downhill New Year's Eve Ski - December 2, 2019 to January 1 2020

We left the unusual winter warmth of Chicago  (50+ degrees) and fortunately entered a Winter Wonderland.  Early Monday morning the snow started falling and continued throughout the day. ABR (and Wolverine) were able to groom some of the more popular trails, giving us the opportunity to ski through the swirling snowflakes. Heavy snowfall continued into  Monday night (2-3 inches per hour!), On Tuesday the snow had stopped., and by the afternoon the sun had come out creating  a pattern of brilliant white snow against the backdrop of trees , river, and blue sky. Conditions were ideal for classic Skiing, and several of us were able to enjoy skiing along the river and through the woods on beautifully groomed tracks on  Jack Pine, White Pine, and  The Hemlock Trails.   

And Marian was able to enjoy some of the snowshoe trails as well.  One was getting off the tracks/path  or having your poles sink into several feet of unpacked snow…And the snow also presented some challenging driving. Marian, Liz, and Wendy had to cajole their vehicle out of the parking lot by rocking, pushing to get traction. And Dave and Julie’s “interactive”car refused to get on the road at one point.

But you ask, where was Darryl? He had to hang up his skating skis (as the snow was still too unpacked) and  had to slow down and smell the pines.

Unfortunately two in our group had challenges that kept them from skiing as much as they had hoped.  Dick had gotten “the cold” that had afflicted many folks over the holidays, and Liz had a last minute deadline that kept her tied to her computer during some of the time,. However they were able to camp out at the ABR Warming Hut… and Andrew and Dani arrived late due to a last minute unavoidable scheduling conflict.

In addition to great skiing, one of the enjoyable aspects of the trip were the evening activites, which included the daily “wine and cheese” gatherings that Dave and Julie created and our dinners out, where we were sometimes joined by friends of Darryl who were in the area. 



Indeed, New Year’s Eve was a total treat at the Big Powderhorn Ski Resort. After a sumptuous buffet, we watched the torchlight skiers snake down the mountain , followed by a magnificent display of fireworks against the clear and crisp winter sky.

Thank you Dave and  Julie for organizing a great New Year’s Eve experience.

--Wendy Wasson
  :LSSC Program, Director